


In the Days I have Left

by the_black_rose



Series: Britannia to Caerleon [2]
Category: Code Geass
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Half-Siblings, Ignores R2 because it never happened, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Incest, Lelouch misses Euphie, Lemon, Side Story to The Power of the Queen, mature themes, set during episode 19
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-05
Updated: 2020-04-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:00:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23484955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_black_rose/pseuds/the_black_rose
Summary: A side story set during episode 19 of the original series; also set during ch 5 (AO3 marks it as Ch 6 - Jealous Hearts) of "The Power of the Queen”"I have to be on my best behavior." He shook the sand and dirt from his cape."And why is that? This isn't our first meeting, and if you were concerned with first impressions,” he turned to look at her. Euphie cocked her head to one side and crossed her arms. “Well, you've already held me at gunpoint. Twice."“That’s why I have to be on my best behavior.”"Why did you kiss me, Lelouch?"
Relationships: Euphemia li Britannia & Lelouch Lamperouge | Lelouch vi Britannia, Euphemia li Britannia/Lelouch Lamperouge | Lelouch vi Britannia
Series: Britannia to Caerleon [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1633189
Comments: 8
Kudos: 109





	In the Days I have Left

**In the days I have left**

by the Black Rose 

* * *

Lelouch felt the tremor seize his body. Something cold seemed to have a hold on him. Icy fingers stretched the length of his spine; sharp nails digging into each vertebrae. Cold and pain gripped every cell. He crossed his arms over his chest and brought his knees towards his waist, trying to keep the warmth inside… 

_She opened her eyes to stare at the endless universe above her head. Euphie blinked_ _._ _'Where am I?'_

_  
_ _She rose, shaking her head and yawning. She placed_ _one_ _hand on the ground, and glanced around._

_Moonlight poured across the horizon, glittering on the tops of the water in the distance. The few clouds in the sky held just the hint of sunlight; the undersides tinged with orange in a lightening purple sky._

_'Oh!' Euphie gasped, and glanced around. 'Where's…?' her gaze landed on the huddled body and dark features of the missing prince of Britannia. He slept_ _on his side_ _in his grey suit. His cravat had been removed, at least, but_ _his back looked like it was pressed against one of the_ _boulders_ _scattered_ _across_ _this island._

_"_ _Lelouch_ _…" She rose to her knees and scooted towards him. A low, snarling sound_ _rushed_ _from his lips. Euphie smiled. "You still snore."_ _She continued to crawl towards him. The residual light from the moon tangled in his dark brown hair, and washed over the left half of his face. "_ _Lelouch_ _?" She kept her voice a whisper_ _. H_ _e didn't stir._

_She drew closer until she could see his entire face, lowering her_ _body to crouch close to the ground…and just observe the sleeping prince._

_"I've missed you…so much. If…If I didn't tell you before. If I don't get the chance to tell you when you're awake."_

_Lelouch's_ _brow contracted. His nose scrunched and then_ _flattened_ _out. A breeze stirred pieces of his hair; they fell over his eyes. 'He's grown…so handsome.' The light side of his face revealed the pale skin he'd always had as a child. It looked perfect in the silvery light, like_ _glazed_ _porcelain. His dark hair set a deep contrast that set off his vibrant blue-violet eyes when he was_ _awake._ _The man_ _had retained the thin, lanky build of youth_ _\- his_ _high cheekbones and pointed chin_ _hadn't changed much_ _over the years,_ _either_ _._

_She couldn't_ _decipher_ _anything of the half of his face cloaked in darkness…_

_Her heart twisted like someone_ _held it at both_ _end_ _s_ _and was trying to wring the last drops of blood from its chambers._ _She smoothed the stray pieces of hair from his face and tucked them behind his ear._ _Her fingers continued down the side of his neck._

_An ache settled in her chest. Someone must have_ _returned her heart,_ _sore and raw…struggling to slip back into its pace. "_ _Lelouch_ _…" Tears sprung to her eyes._

_He shivered. She felt_ _the muscles in his shoulders shak_ _e_ _._ _The prince drew his legs to_ _wards_ _the center of his body._

_"You're cold…" She glanced at where she'd been sleeping –_ _finding_ _his_ _black cape on the ground. Euphie retrieved the article of clothing_ _, then_ _returned to his side_ _-_ _dropping to her knees so she could drape the thick_ _fabric over his huddled form. She tucked it around his shoulder_ _s_ _._

_Moments passed and_ _Lelouch_ _finally stopped shivering. Euphie smiled. "Better." She took a deep breath and sat down on the ground._ _The princess stared out over the horizon. Night still held its grip on the sky, and she couldn't help but remember the nights she and_ _Lelouch_ _would gaze up at the stars when they were younger…_

_"I wish we could go back to those days." She closed her eyes and felt the ache in her chest sharpen. "I wish…Marianne didn't die. That you didn't have that pain,_ _Lelouch_ _. And that we could have spent all the days that have passed…I wish we could be together again. You and me and_ _Nuna_ _—"_

_A moan came from the sleeping prince. He shifted to lie on his back._ _Euphie winced when his head connected with the ground. "_ _Lelouch_ _?"_

_The sound of the waves was the only reply. "I should let you sleep anyway. I'm sure you wore yourself out with all that digging." She_ _giggled_ _. "You were never athletic. I see that hasn't changed." The princess gently lifted his head and_ _placed her crossed_ _legs underneath his neck. She leaned over his shoulders to settle the cape around him._

_"There. I hope that's a little more comfortable." She leaned against the boulder that used to be at_ _Lelouch's_ _back._ _"You were so gallant, today. Well, when you stopped pointing that gun at me. But you always had such a kind heart,_ _Lelouch._ _That's why…I'm sure that's why…I first." The night seemed to grow darker. Euphie lifted her eyelids and smiled down at the man_ _sleeping_ _in her lap. "I still love you."_

Lelouch struggled back to consciousness. His back groaned its discomfort. Heat smothered him and he felt beads of sweat on his forehead and chest. The prince opened his eyes…And found himself staring into the bright blue sky of her gaze. 

His heart leapt. Pink hair formed a cloud on her shoulders, and shaded her pale skin from the early morning sun. She smiled, and he could see the reflection of the dawn in her eyes. 

_Is this a dream?_

He wasn't sure if he asked the question out loud. She didn't answer, just tipped her head to one side. Threads of her hair crept over her brow, and caught on the breeze. His hand moved to brush them aside. The top of his knuckles grazed her forehead, then continued down her cheek. He tangled his fingers in the strands. 

Euphie caught his hand with hers… 

* * *

A horn blared. Lelouch gasped and shot to his feet beside his bed. His pulse raced, pounding in his head. He choked and tried to catch his breath. The prince glanced around the room, finally locating the source of the terrible sound: his alarm clock. He shook his head and flipped the switch to 'OFF'. 

_What's the matter with me?_ He shuffled into the bathroom, rubbing one hand over his face. He didn't bother to stifle a yawn. Lelouch flicked the light switch and bent over the sink. He turned the faucet handles, dipped his hands in the rush of icy water, and splashed the liquid over his face. It felt like a thousand frozen needles stabbing his skin, but managed to clear the fog of sleep from his brain. 

He stared at himself in the mirror; water dripping from the front of his hair and down the side of his cheeks. Violet eyes stared back; the skin underneath looked almost black. A few pinkish red pinpricks demonstrated a lack of circulation; it felt like years since the teenaged boy had gotten a decent night’s rest. High cheekbones drew yellowish skin taut, forming sharp angles which drew down into a pointed chin. 

_I was dreaming of something…_ An image of _her_ came to mind as he shut off the water. She was sitting behind him while his head rested in her lap, the sun lighting stray pieces of her hair and turning them the color of maple leaves in autumn. 

_Euphemia stood on the beach, water streaming down the sides of her face; it dripped from the buns behind each ear – they drooped with the weight of sea water. So did the top of her dress, her sleeves. She trembled all over; her hands balled into fists at her sides._

_"_ _Lelouch_ _…" Tears coursed down her face at the same time a tender smile tugged at the edges of her lips._

_His breath caught! How did she—_

_"You are_ _Lelouch_ _, right?_ _I didn't tell anyone._ _That's why…before you shoot me, at least… Just let me see your face…"_

He closed his eyes and let the water finish dripping from his skin. The prince grabbed for a hand-towel hanging beside the sink, missed, and groped along the wall. _She's too clever, or I gave too much away._ He found the towel and used it to dry his face. _Or maybe…she knows me too well. Even after all these years._

_"I like her very much,_ _Lelouch,_ _” Nunnally said from across the room. “Do you?"_

_Lelouch_ _gritted his teeth and scowled. "I liked her."_

He tasted acid in his mouth. Lelouch swallowed. The floor pitched beneath his feet. He placed both hands on the counter to steady himself. His fingers shook. 

_No. No, it didn't happen. I just got back from the island. I saw her yesterday. The rest…the rest was a dream – a nightmare._

Lelouch opened his eyes and raised his head to look at himself in the mirror. The back of his dark hair stood out in all directions, his skin was white – everywhere but the black circles under his eyes. 

_Euphie covered her mouth as she gave a small laugh. Her eyes sparkled for a moment as she looked at him... And then she turned away. "I did it for Nunally. Because she said that as long as she could be by your side, she would be happy."_

He stared at the mirror. The symbol of his power gleamed back, ever-present in his left eye. 

_Threads of her hair crept over her brow, and caught on the breeze. His hand moved to brush them aside. The top of his knuckles grazed her forehead, then continued down her cheek. He tangled his fingers in the strands._

_Euphie caught his hand with hers_ _…_

He sank to the floor, grabbed his knees like he did when he cried as a child… 

And screamed. 

* * *

_I don't know why I dream of her._ _Maybe it's_ _my_ _subconscious acknowledg_ _ing_ _my guilt. Maybe there's not a rational explanation for the tricks the_ _mind_ _can_ _play._

_An internet search_ _on dream interpretation_ _suggests that_ _my dream could be a warning; it could be that I miss her, or even that I long for a connection with my deceased…_

_Euphie._

_P_ _erhaps_ _this loneliness_ _ha_ _s_ _become_ _more than I can bear._

_The people I love have all left me._

_Euphie was the first to go._ _She died._ _B_ _y_ _my hand and_ _for my mistake._

_Nunally…she was taken from me._ _I couldn't_ _return_ _to Ashford, and a_ _fter Euphie…_ _I couldn't_ _bring Nunally_ _with me to the Order of the Black Kn_ _ights_ _without revealing my identity_ _._ _But t_ _he more strength my army gathers, the more dangerous this world becomes for_ _her_ _._

_Euphie said Nunally only wanted to stay by my side_ _…_

_Lastl_ _y,_ _there's_ _Suzaku_ _. Who lives, now, for revenge. Whose only hope is my death, to watch me bleed and suffer._ _I can't even tell him how_ _miserable I am already_ _. If he knew, I think he'd pity me. But then…I don't know his_ _pain_ _either. How close was he to Euphie? Were they friends? Lovers?_

_Does he know I loved her, too?_

_This world is a cold_ _realm_ _, no matter how much it changes. I_ _n my quest for a kinder place for Nunally than the one that_ _killed_ _our mother, I've created another vengeful bastard who only knows how to hate._

_And_ _I_ _destroyed the_ _refuge_ _Euphie sacrificed_ _her birthright to create_ _… For Suzaku's and Nunally's sake._ _As well as_ _my own_ _._

_She tried to save me…_

_In the days_ _I have left_ _,_ _CC_ _is the only one who stands beside me. Patient. Aloof. W_ _aiting for me to fulfill some contract_ _-_ _the one that binds me to the devil._

_And this…this is my hell._

Lelouch struggled back to consciousness. His back groaned its discomfort. Heat smothered him and he felt beads of sweat on his forehead and chest. The prince opened his eyes…And found himself staring into the bright blue sky of her gaze. 

His heart leapt. Pink hair formed a cloud on her shoulders, and shaded her pale skin from the early morning sun. She smiled, and he could see the reflection of the dawn in her eyes. 

_Is this a dream?_

He wasn't sure if he asked the question out loud. She didn't answer, just tipped her head to one side. Threads of her hair crept over her brow, and caught on the breeze. His hand moved to brush them aside. The top of his knuckles grazed her forehead, then continued down her cheek. He tangled his fingers in the strands. 

Euphie caught his hand with hers. "Good morning, Lelouch." 

He pushed his black cape to the ground. The cool morning breeze slid into the collar of his shirt. He could hear the dull roar of the waves, rolling and lapping against the shore. Seagulls cried as they circled high above the water. The scent of salt water mixed with the smell of grass and wild flowers that made up his bed. 

"You look happy." She let her fingers slip from his hand, down to the top of his forearm. 

"Do I?" He felt thirsty; he licked his lips and tried to sit up, but his body wouldn’t obey. He felt so... 

"Yes.” The skin around her eyes crinkled as she met his gaze. “You don't know how much I…I worried—" She glanced away. 

"Didn't everyone believe we were dead?" 

"Yes. Everyone else did.” She shook her head. “But I…There was still some part of me that believed…. They didn't bury a coffin. There was no funeral.” 

He reached and tipped her chin up just a bit to make her look at him. 

“So, I let myself believe you were somewhere…” She took a breath; her pink eyebrows peaked into a pleading expression. “And I hoped…I hoped you were happy." 

He let the strands of her hair slip through his fingers. Lelouch repeated the action – digging his hand into the loose pieces of hair and combing through the ends. Her eyes glittered with tears. 

"Why…why didn't you ever tell me…” Her voice wavered with emotion. “Couldn't you have sent some word—" 

He rolled over and planted one hand on either side of her crossed legs, then lifted himself to level his gaze with hers. Her eyes widened, raising dark lashes. The breeze tossed pieces of her hair like a curtain around them. Her lips were a natural shade of pink the same color as the Virginia Roses she used to pick from his mother's garden as a child. 

Lelouch settled the fingertips of his right hand on her cheek. His thumb traced a line up her cheekbone to her ear. Her smile brightened, and he leaned in to brush his mouth against hers… 

* * *

_It's always the same…The same place, the same time. She's always smiling at me, with so much life in her eyes._

_I never picture her screaming, her body crumpling as she fights…begs me not to make her kill. I never picture her drenched in the blood of the people I_ _slaughtered_ _with her_ _hands_ _._

_She doesn't hate me_ _in my dreams_ _._

_I wonder if we met again, in another lifetime, in another universe, in the place they call heaven or even hell… I wonder if she'd still look at me with tenderness in her eyes and gentleness_ _perched on her lips_ _._ _I wonder if she'd forgive me for killing her, like she forgave me for killing our brother_ _Clovis_ _._

_And then I wonder…_

_Did I condemn her soul to hell the way I'_ _ve_ _sold mine? Does she wait for me, there? Or did God forgive her the sins I committed with her lips, her_ _fingers_ _… Will she and Suzaku both be there when I die?_ _Or will I serve the rest of eternity in this same hell?_

_Alone._

Lelouch settled the fingertips of his right hand on her cheek. His thumb traced a line up her cheekbone to her ear. Her smile brightened, and he leaned in to brush his mouth against hers… 

Her lips felt like feathers whispering against his. Her eyes slipped closed. He opened his mouth and pressed another kiss to her lips before pulling away. Euphie opened her eyes. Her mouth curved up, but she didn't quite smile. And she didn't look at him. 

"You didn't answer the question." 

It felt difficult to breathe. "What question?" 

"I…" Her head tilted down. 

He lightly tipped her chin back up. "Did I distract you, princess?" 

She huffed and wrinkled her nose as she met his gaze. "That's not—" 

Lelouch laughed. "You still scrunch your nose when you pout." 

Euphie crossed her arms. "You still snore!" 

Something wonderful flickered inside his chest, and he laughed harder. The princess pursed her lips together and giggled. Lelouch moved to sit beside her on the grass. The breeze slid cool fingers through his hair. He threw his head back to bask in the sun. 

"Why…" 

His breath caught and he sat up straight. She was going to ask him about being Zero, about killing Clovis, about too many things…he couldn't answer. 

"Why did you kiss me, Lelouch?" 

He had to stop himself from chuckling at her question. "Did you not want me to kiss you?" 

"I…I don't know." 

The words felt like she’d slapped him. He felt his shoulders stiffen, and he turned to look out at the sea. "I see. Then my apologies—" 

"Don't." She grabbed the top of his arm and pulled. 

He shrugged away. "Don't what?" 

"Don't run away…I'm serious. This…I need to…” 

He felt her draw closer. Felt her breath on the back of his neck. 

“I just don't know how I'm supposed to feel, Lelouch." 

"You can't make yourself feel something you don't, Euphemia." 

"You're angry." Her forehead leaned against the back of his shoulder. 

"No." 

"You only call me Euphemia when you're angry with me. So many days have passed, Lelouch. Years...” Her hand slid down his arm to his wrist. “I've always…loved you. But, back then we didn't know—" 

He looked at her long fingers resting on the top of his hand. "That we would separate?" 

"That I wasn't supposed to…” Her voice was quiet, serious, steady. While his heart beat out of rhythm, and he felt like everything inside him was quaking. Falling. On edge. 

“I was never supposed to dream of being your bride.” Something twisted his stomach into a painful, queasy lump. 

_Never supposed to..._

“But, I…I did.” Her words were a whisper against his ear. Like she was telling him her deepest secret. “And not just when I was nine, but every now and again…I'd wonder what you looked like. How it would feel to have you…” 

He felt his whole body tighten at her words. His heart raced faster. He turned towards her. Was she saying-- 

“To feel your embrace. If I'd…If I saw you again, would…would I desire you like a...” she gulped for air. “Like a woman?” Red crept up from her chest to her cheeks. 

“Or just love you as a—" She finally met his gaze. 

"Your mother isn't mine and that man you call 'father' has never been one to me." 

She shook her head and pulled away. "That may be, but—" 

"Are you saying that you don't wish me to kiss you, or are you saying that you do, but you're afraid it's wrong?" 

She stood up and turned away from him. He saw her pull her arms against her body. "I…I don't—" 

He stood up and grabbed her shoulder - pulling her around to face him. "Don't tell me you don't know. You do know. You're not Cornelia and Schneizel's doll! You know exactly what you want and how you feel. Stop being Euphemia li Britannia and just be...” 

Her hand came up to cup his cheek. 

“Just be Euphie." 

Her eyes widened. "Lelouch…" 

"I've missed you, Euphie, all these—" She surged forward and crushed her lips against his. The force knocked him backwards. Her arms wound around his neck. Lelouch caught himself before he fell to the ground. He kissed her back, his right hand planted on her waist, his left resting on the bare skin of her back. 

Her body pressed into his. Softness and curves proved she had grown into a woman. The temperature around them spiked, fresh sweat broke out along his hairline. 

"Lelouch…" She broke the kiss and retreated from her position. 

If she thought she was getting away…. 

She bowed her head, and her cheeks turned bright pink. It reminded him of her at eight years old, asking if he would go to her ballet performance. 

_"Um…_ _Lelouch_ _?” She clasped her small hands in front of her and glanced at the table where he sat, the computer perched in front of him... The floor._

_“Do you…"_

_Lelouch leaned_ _back in his chair, amused that she didn’t realize he already knew what she was going to ask. "What?"_

_She squeezed her eyes shut. "_ _WillyougotomyrecitalonSaturday_ _?"_

Her hands disappeared into the hair on her shoulders. The choker she wore around her neck loosened and then it was on the ground beside her. Her head tipped back, her chest jutted out. The lavender fabric of her dress seemed to have molded itself to perfect, round swells of the softest skin… 

"Lelouch?" 

His head snapped up and he found her…looking at him. 

He sunk back down to the ground. 

"Did you ever wonder what it would be like, to…" 

"Yes." He let his gaze fall to stare at the grass that had served as his bed. And that's when he saw the white bolero she wore – discarded with the ribbon she'd removed moments before. Lelouch swallowed against the burning lump that had found its way into his throat. "But I wouldn't be a very gallant knight if I exposed my lady—" 

"Then don't be my knight." 

He glanced up. "Then what does my princess wish me to be?" 

She kneeled beside him. "You could be…my king?" 

He had to smirk at that. "A king?" 

She raised an eyebrow. "Or perhaps the mysterious rebel that saves a hostage princess's life?" 

He shook his head. "A reckless princess's life." 

"Or even the grown version of the boy I fell in love with?" 

"Euphie…" He moved forward and caught her face in his hands, then lowered his head to kiss her again. Her fingers gripped the front of his shirt. She tugged until he got the hint, but instead of sinking to the ground, he leaned forward, into her body. She adjusted beneath him, her hands sliding up to grab his collar. Their mouths parted. He took a breath. And then he seized her barely-opened lips, forcing his tongue into her mouth, cradling her head as he pressed her against him. 

His hand smoothed down the side of her neck, his fingers trailing over her collarbone to rest on the curve of her breast. The mounting heat in the pit of his stomach began to boil. It felt…sinful to touch her like this. Not because of who she was, but because he shouldn't – not out here, like this. They'd been raised to be private people, to live behind closed doors. Never show affection. Always be in control of your emotions. 

And here he was, about to strip her naked and engage in the most intimate of human interactions…on this wide-open beach. 

"Lelouch…" 

* * *

_I've passed the point of madness. I believe she's waiting for me. Not in heaven or hell as I originally supposed. But someplace, outside of what we know to exist. This power comes from somewhere, somewhere not on Earth. I've gleaned that much_ _, if little else,_ _out of my aloof accomplice._

_"How did Suzaku get that power?"_

_CC flipped her hair from her shoulder._ _"You_ _didn't think I was the only one._ _"_

_"So you're not the only devil in the universe."_

_"Devil.” She scowled at him. “I'm not a devil."_

_"There are others like you?” He resisted the urge to grab her, shake her. “Where! Where do they come from?"_

_She turned away._ _"_ _You ask too many questions._ _"_

_"You give too few answers.” He raised one hand to grip the hair on his head. “As always."_

_I think she believes she avoided my question, but_ _looking at her, then, with that unnatural_ _color of_ _hair and the memory of the visions I saw at the battle of_ _Narita_ _Mountain_ _…_

_I suppose for the first time since I…since I took_ _Euphie's_ _hand on that day. The day I lost her, the day I failed both_ _her_ _and Nunally…_

_I hoped._

_It's the hope of madness, the crux of religious zealots that believe there is someplace to go after we die that means we don't just cease to exist. But it's unlike the f_ _ears_ _where I expected to pay for my sins_ _, to face the judgment of a being whose name and face I don't even know._

_What if this life is just one journey? What if she still exists, and not just Euphie, but my mother…and Suzaku. What if they live and breathe…in someplace I'm meant to go as well?_

_The dreams fuel this madness. They don't happen every night, but when I dream…about her. It's just too much to wake and face this reality again._

His hand smoothed down the side of her neck, his fingers trailing over her collarbone to rest on the curve of her breast. The mounting heat in the pit of his stomach began to boil. 

"Lelouch…" Euphie's voice was barely more than a whisper. The ache in his abdomen sharpened. He pulled away. He rose to his knees and let his palms slip down her arms to take her hands. She blinked a couple of times then frowned, but allowed him to pull her to her feet along with him. 

"I'll get my cloak. You can't lie on the ground." 

"Oh." She brought one hand up to her mouth, her cheeks a lively pink – and he couldn't help but notice that she seemed slightly out of breath. Lelouch brought her other hand up to place a kiss near her wrist. 

"When did you become so chivalrous?” She asked with a small laugh. “You were temperamental and willful when we were children. You never cared for the…” 

He lifted an eyebrow. 

“Well,” she smiled, “you were always good to your mother and gentle with Nunally. But I—" 

"I have to be on my best behavior." He shook the sand and dirt from his cape. 

"And why is that? This isn't our first meeting, and if you were concerned with first impressions,” he turned to look at her. Euphie cocked her head to one side and crossed her arms. “Well, you've already held me at gunpoint. Twice." 

Lelouch chuckled and threw his cape forward to spread it across the ground. A light breeze caught it and threw it back. He sighed. "Which is why I have to be on my best behavior." 

He heard the tinkle of her laughter. It had a strange ring… 

Lelouch finished spreading the thick black fabric on the ground, and glanced up— just in time to see her dress fall to a pile at her knees. Lelouch felt his heart beat out of turn as she slipped one arm over her chest, and used the other to hold her dress in place as she stepped out of the small mountain of silk and lace. 

One long, thin leg - tapered from the knee to her ankle – emerged. Followed by the other. He let his gaze travel the length of her thigh to register the curve of her hip and the scrap of ivory-colored satin that covered the junction between her legs. He stood up, his view rising from her waist to the hands that cupped her breasts, and finally to her red complexion. She moved towards him, and the last thought that registered in his head was that he needed to remember to breathe… 

As it turned out, he didn't need to think. His arms wrapped around her waist. Her mouth met his…soft, pliant. He slid trembling hands from her abdomen to her ribcage. His lips left her mouth to sample her neck. He worked his way to her chest, while tugging her down to kneel on the makeshift bed he'd arranged. His left leg found a place between her thighs. Lelouch moved his arms around her back to anchor her against him as he continued to lower her towards the ground. His lips returned to hers. Her fingers knotted in the hair at the back of his neck. 

Lelouch laid her down. Her hair spilled everywhere – the pink strands a stark contrast against the black fabric. He frowned and lifted from her, intending to unbutton his shirt, only to find it already loose. He tore it from his shoulders and stretched over her. Euphie's arms came up to hold him. He gave her a smile. "I want you to be comfortable." 

He placed the crumpled shirt beneath her head. Euphie's arms snuck around his ribcage and tugged him down. Her eyes glittered in the sunlight. Her body, everything about her was so soft… He lowered his lips to hers and kissed her until he couldn't breathe. Then, he broke away, and mouthed down her neck, over her chest. He ran his tongue over the swell of her breast, listening to moans leave her throat. He slid a second leg between her thighs and moved his hand to knead her other breast. 

Euphie's fingers dug into the skin of his back. She tossed her head from one side to the other, her eyelids clenched tight. Lelouch bit the bud of her nipple, and her hips lurched off the ground. Her arms slipped to her sides, grabbing fistfuls of black fabric. She gasped. "Lelouch…Lelouch!" 

The boiling liquid in the pit of his stomach changed to a raging heat. It spilled from his abdomen and began to seep into the other parts of his body. His arousal strained against his slacks. 

"Lelouch…" She whimpered. Euphie thrust against him. Sparks lit beneath his eyelids and the ache sharpened. Unbearable. Lelouch rose from his position on top of the girl, fumbling with the closure on his pants for only a second before he was stripping them off his legs. Followed by his boxer briefs. 

Lelouch tossed his clothing towards the heap of discarded articles. Euphie's moans stopped. The prince smoothed his hand over her stomach, his fingers tracing the top of her satin panties from the center (with the tiny flower embellishment made of a dark pink ribbon) to her left hip. He hooked his index finger into the fabric band. She lifted her hips to allow him to tug the last of her clothing off her body. 

Something like pain almost doubled him over. He caught himself on one hand before he collapsed onto the prone figure of the girl…waiting for him. Lelouch breathed deeply, steadying himself. 

And then her eyes opened…Her mouth curved into a tender smile, and she reached for him. Pulling him down, into her… He kissed her again. The tip of his erection found the heated juncture between her legs. He closed his eyes and pushed inside… She burned from the inside out. 

Euphie's hands clutched his shoulders. She tightened beneath him – like someone strung the back of her neck to her waist and pulled. Her breasts pressed against his chest. He thrust into her again. Lelouch buried his face into her shoulder and set a pace in and out of her body. 

"Euphie…." 

She relaxed beneath him. Her legs wrapped around his waist. He felt her fingers trail down his back… 

_"Euphie…"_ He choked and plunged deeper inside. She pulsed around his cock. Her arms seemed to pull him in. She was all around him…The floral scent of her perfume. The softness…The unbearable softness. When he closed his eyes, he could still see her face - she was inside him, too. 

Hot waves broke out of the cage of his abdomen. They roared through his system, breaking against his spine. A strange mix of pleasure and pain shot through him, and he convulsed. Lelouch moved his hands to pull her hips off the ground and slammed himself into her. He heard the vague sound of her crying his name…. 

He thrust into her once more. And he was lost. He crashed with the waves over her, into her, his body falling forever until she caught him. Lelouch shuddered again in the safety of her arms. 

_"Don't leave me."_

His body jolted. He shook uncontrollably. Something…something urgent seized him, but he couldn't force himself to open his eyes. Tears stung, and Lelouch wrapped his arms around her. 

_"_ _Euphie…_ _Don't leave me."_

* * *

_In this time and space, the_ _insanity_ _tha_ _t's gripped me all these months,_ _years_ _…the time doesn't really matter anymore. But the feelings of madness_ _have finally_ _subside_ _d_ _. I know all the things I didn't before. The infusion of knowledge that happens with death…_

_I know the things that I searched for, but could never grasp._ _And I know the things I never wanted to face._

_I also know…_ _She waits for me._

_It wasn't_ _lunacy_ _to believe she still existed._ _S_ _he waits to tell me of the things still unknown to the universe..._ _T_ _here_ _i_ _s no one truth to the feelings kept inside a person's heart._ _People love. And people hate. And sometimes, we love and hate at the same time, in the same person._

_And we conceive of boundaries between the two that don't exist except in the realm of the human mind._

_Britannian_ _. Eleven._ _It_ _no longer matters_ _._

_I pass the shadow of the friend_ _I knew. I don't have to ask…His eyes betray the_ _loathing_ _he still feels for me. He hates for her. The way I_ _despised…so many_ _for my mother's and Nunally's sakes._

_And though he'll never ask, I forgive him_ _for his hatred_ _._

_My hands tremble. I've fought battles and faced_ _my_ _death to come to this place as_ _K_ _ing. But my hands_ _shak_ _e with a_ _simple fear:_ _Does she hate me?_

_Could she still find a place in her heart to love me?_

_The door is large_ _, solid_ _. I can't help but dislike that it's painted black. No light shines in the space between it and the floor. It's a door much like death itself. But mother said Euphie's inside that room._

_Alive._

_And_ _she waits.._ _._


End file.
